Working Class Hero

On the Merry Monk's blog he put a video of John Lennon's Working Class Hero on for Labor Day.  It does have a couple choice words on it, but through that I found a more recent version by Green Day here(Official Video) and here(live on American Idol) - these two do not have any choice words.

Anyway, and here is where it hits me, the official video, which Green Day put together for an album to support the stop of genocide in Darfur (sp?), is perhaps one of the greatest music videos I have watched.  I have not seen a band put so much of their heart and soul out there and in the live version there is much the same emphasis.


Which leads me to another thing.  They have survivors talk about some experiences and the emotion in the whole video is truly from God's heart...  A question that I have been asking and having to live in for the last few years is this, and I cannot hold a candle (no pun intended from the end of the video) to the experiences that are talked about on the video:  How do we hold onto the flame for life when (and the words from John Lennon even hint at the fact that things in life try to take our spirit) we go through difficult to impossible circumstances.  You can see it on their faces...   This desire to conquer by the good rather than by evil.

One of my favorite stories is from the book Desert Wisdom and the link I posted earlier to this Orthodox Writing has the quote from the book at the end of the article.  Here it is for emphasis: 

"Abba Lot went to see Abba Joseph and said: Abba, as much as I am able I practice a small rule, a little fasting, some prayer and meditation, and remain quiet, and as much as possible keep my thoughts clean. What else should I do? Then the old man stood up and stretched out his hands toward heaven, and his fingers became like ten torches of flame. And he said: If you wish you can become all flame." (Nomura, 2001, p. 92)

Whatever you do, do to the glory of God eh?  What does that not mean except what is exemplified here?  To seek first the Kingdom of God (within) that is the flame that lights up all of our lives?  I want you to think about this:  We are born into this world kicking and screaming against our wills.  Life appears to be against us from the very start.  But greater is the will to live forever (eternity, is it not calling to us?) than all of that.

I love how they end the song both in sound and visually.  Truly humble in my opinion...